After Effects
by DuskyDark
Summary: Quinn/Rashel. Picking up where The Chosen left off. Their journey away from the enclave and to Circle Daybreak. Rated T.
1. Beginning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Night World. It came from the wonderful mind of L.J. Smith.**

**AN: This is my first fic ever, so please leave constructive criticism and compliments. No flames... there is a fine line between criticism and a flame and I happen to know the difference, so atleast try to be decent.**

**AN II: This picks up a bit after where The Chosen ends.**

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><p>Rashel Jordan, pressed the buzzer of the brownstone apartment building and waited for a voice to come over the speaker. She hoped anyone would answer so she could leave her information and leave Nyala, that is if she wished to stay, who was currently still unconcious on her back.<p>

Losing a bit of patience Rashel pushed the buzzer again and this time a voice came over the speaker.

_"Who's there?"_ it asked.

"The night has a thousand eyes." she said tersley.

_"And the day only one,"_ it said and then continued, _"come on up, girl."_

The lock opened and she went in. She went up the dark and narrow stairway and up to a scarred wooden door. The very room she had when she had first met Nyala. She could see someone peeking out the peep hole and heard them say her name. She could hear Elliot tell them to let her in and could hear Vicky hissing about leaving her out there. The door came open. Apperently Vicky didn't have as much control as she thought she did in the Lancers.

She could see that Steve had opened the door. That was why the door opened. Steve had the hugest crush on her, so yeah he would defy Vicky for her.

"Rashel, welcome back." he said and then spotted Nyala.

"What happened to her?" Elliot asked before Steve could.

"Let me lie her down and then I'll tell you." she said and they let her through.

Vicky didn't say one word to her but did help her lay Nyala on the sofa they had. When she had been laid out, Rashel rubbed her neck to ease the bunched muscles from carrying her.

"Now what the hell happened to her?" Vicky asked harshly.

She ignored Vicky and turned to Elliot. She didn't owe Vicky any explanations to what had occurred.

"Elliot this is the last time I will come here." she announced.

"Rashel..." Steve voiced and she held up a hand.

"I need Nyala to be awake. She and I just went through Hell. She was so brave and it almost got her killed." Rashel mused thinking of the look Nyala had in her eyes when she set fire to the Enclave.

"Ok." Elliot said and left the room.

Vicky waited a few seconds after he left before she tried to interrogate Rashel.

"Where the hell have you been? What did you do to her?" she hissed.

"You will get your answers when Elliot returns." she answered back.

Vicky sat down and glared at her. Rashel rolled her eyes and ignored her glare. Like that would get her to talk. Steve moved closer to Rashel and placed a hand on her shoulder to give her some support. She looked at him and gave him a silent thanks.

A few minutes later Elliot returned with a brown bottle and a white cloth. He sat down beside Nyala, pouring some of the contents of the brown bottle onto the cloth and waved it under Nyalas' nose. It took several tries but she finally came to. She wasn't calm one bit about coming around took a swing at Elliot. If he had been someone else other than a hunter then she would have knocked him out flat.

Elliot had to pounce on her to get her to realize that she was back with the Lancers. She calmed but when she saw Rashel she was up.

"Did I get them? What happened?" she asked grabbing Rashels' hands tightly.

"You surprised them but I don't know if you killed them. I hope you did." she answered and Nyala dropped her hands.

"Got who?" Elliot asked.

"The vampires." Nyala said and sat back down.

"What Vampires?" Vicky asked and this time Rashel graced her with an answer.

"The Enclave..." she began.

"Oh that." Vicky said sarcastically.

"Yes that. Nyala and I were held prisoner there." she said matter-of-factly.

"Prisoner!" Steve exclaimed.

"Explain." was all Elliot said.

"I told Vicky about an Enclave I had found out about. It was connected to all of the kidnapping reports. I told Vicky that I had rescued a girl from vampires that were chasing her. She had gotten away from them and I hid her. I got her away, calmed down, and got whatever information I could from her. Her name is Daphne Childs. She told me about an underground club called, The Crypt. That was where the vampires would make their picks." she explained and stopped.

Elliot grabbed a notepad and pen and wrote down the necessary information from her statement. He asked the address and she told him and he asked her to continue.

"Daphne was not going to let me go alone. If it wasn't for her I would never have got passed the door of the club..." she said.

"Why didn't you get any back up?" Elliot asked sternly.

"I told Vicky to tell you to give me a call and she told me not to hold my breath. So I didn't even bother and went at it the best I could." she said.

Elliot and Steve were now glaring at Vicky who was glancing elsewhere. Nyala was listening intently to what she didn't know.

"Well anyways I got in. You would not believe who I came face to face with at the club." she said.

"Who?" Elliot asked.

"Lily Redfern and I spoke to her." she said.

"**THE** Lily Refern. Hunter Redfern's second daughter!" Vicky exclaimed.

"Yes and she was not all I met on this... imprisonment. By time the night was done both Daphne and I were in shackles and being transported to the Enclave for a Bloodfeast. Nyala was already there chained to a bed. She had gotten caught Wednesday night. Well I killed a Werewolf got the girls off the Island and into a boat, they were leaving and I went back to get the vampires throwing the Bloodfeast. I didn't know Nyala had snuck off the boat and was following back to the house." she said.

"I did follow her back. I found the gasoline and started spreading it all over that house. I didn't leave a single peice of that house undrenched except the feast room." Nyala said, confirming what she had said.

"I found the vampires, they were all made vampires. I got caught before I could confront them though." she said and pulled down her collar and showed them the bite Quinn had given her.

"You got bit!" Vicky and Nyala gasped.

"Who did it? Do you know?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah. Quinn." she said.

Silence ensued. Steve came out of the shock first and went for some stakes. Rashel went after him and talked him into listening to the rest.

"Quinn bit me. He told me he was going to make me a vampire. He was the vampire we had caught at the warehouse." she said.

"Well that's what you get for letting him go." Vicky snarled.

"I did and yet I didn't let him go. I was going to kill him before you could torture him. He broke the cuffs you put on him, bent the metal and snapped the wood. I watched him do it. He was going to kill me then but he didn't. Then you showed up and I got in your way and he escaped. Simple as that." she snapped.

"We had Quinn the Dreadful and you helped him escape us?" Elliot asked, calm beginning to leave him.

"Yes. But that isn't important. He let me go and fought with me against the Vampires holding the Bloodfeast. He kept me from getting myself killed by Hunter Redfern. Hunter was the one that called the Vampires together and was holding the Bloodfeast. I found out then that Hunter was the one who had killed my mother, my great-aunt, and had taken Timmy. He turned Timmy and Timmy was there with him. Nyala then set the house ablaze. Quinn saved Nyala and me from the fire. He brought us and the other girls back to shore when we ran into them, they had run out of gas." she said.

"Is that true?" Elliot and Vicky asked Nyala and she nodded.

"Quinn the Dreadful, saved you and Nyala?" Steve asked.

"Yes. He won't hurt me for anything in this world. This is where I am leaving you. This is my good-bye." Rashel told them.

"Rash..." Steve began.

"No. I'm leaving. Nyala would you like to come with me?" she asked.

"Where?" she asked.

"I'm going to Circle Daybreak. Fayth asked me to ask if you would come. She knows what you are going through and she wants to help you. She lost her brother to a vampire. Do you want to come?" she asked.

"Yes. I will." Nyala answered.

"What!" Vicky yelled.

"Come on Nyala. John is waiting for us. He's going to take us to Circle Daybreak." she said and helped Nyala to her feet.

Vicky started yelling crazy nonesense about being a Vampire sympathizer. Steve was very silent and sad looking. Elliot on the other hand walked them to the door.

"Are you sure you want this Rashel? Nyala?" he asked.

"I'm sure." Nyala answered, "I found that not all Vampires are bad."

"Yeah, I have to join. Carol is why you made the Lancers. They killed her, the Vampires did, they killed the love of your life, your soulmate. I have to leave for Quinn, my soulmate. That is why I let him go and that is why he helped us escape. He is waiting for me. Would you do the same if it was Carol?" she said.

Elliot bit his lip and nodded. He would have done anything for her. He turned around and went back in the apartment and shut the door. As they went down the stairs they could hear Vicky's voice as well as Steves' and Elliots' follow them.

They made it outside and there waiting for them, across the street, was a car. In the front seat was Quinn and Rashel knew in the backseat was Timmy. She asked Nyala where she wanted to sit and she wanted to sit in the backseat, said she would rather take her chance with the kid vamp over the other one. Rashel could swear she felt Quinn smile in her head as she took her seat beside him in the front.

"So where are we going?" she asked as they began to pull away.

"Vegas." he said simply and took off like a bullet.

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><p><strong>AN: I feel as if it went a little quick. What do you think?<strong>


	2. Journey Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Night World nor make any profit from this fic. All I make is enjoyment.**

**AN: This is my first fic, so please be nice.**

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><p>Rashel opened her eyes to the glaring light of the sun. She stretched the best she could in a vehicle and looked around. Nyala was sound asleep in the back and Timmy was still out cold. She grimaced as she looked at the boy. Her childhood friend was gone and in his place was a brainwashed vampire child.<p>

"Good Morning." Quinn said.

"Hmm, morning. Where are we?" she said.

"We crossed the Kentucky lines 15 minutes ago." he said.

"Never been in Kentucky. It's beautiful." she said and watched the fields of bluegrass pass by.

"The countryside is always beautiful." he said.

"It is." she said, content.

A rustling sound alerted Rashel that either Nyala or Timmy was waking. She hoped that it was Nyala rather than Timmy, she didn't want to hear how he hated her again. The wound was still too fresh to go another round again.

"Where are we?" Nyala's groggy voice reached her ears.

"We just crossed into Kentucky." she said.

"I love Kentucky. My sister and I spent our summers here with our grandparents." she commented.

"Are they still around?" Rashel asked.

"No. They died a couple years ago, car crash." she answered.

"There's a roadside diner ahead." Quinn broke in.

The girls both looked up to see a diner on the left side. It looked to have been around since the 50's and it had gas pumps outside.

"Wanna stop?" he asked.

"Yes! My bladder is about to pop." Nyala said.

"Mine too. I'm hungry." Rashel said.

He nodded and took the turn and pulled up to the diner. Nyala jumped out and ran inside. Rashel turned to look at Timmy.

"He will wake in a couple of hours. I have had to keep him unconcious. He woke up after you both had fell asleep. He tried to jump out of the car, I knocked him out before he could break the handles." he explained.

"I see. Will he be?" she asked and couldn't bring herself to finish that question.

"Yeah, he will be hungry when he wakes. I will have to get him something or he will take a bite out of you or Nyala." he said.

"Ok. I could give..." she was interrupted.

"No." he snapped.

"But..."

"No. Children vampires don't know how to stop. They have to have the one who made them with them when they feed to get them to stop or a Witch to put a lock on their bloodlust. Not every feeding ends in death." he said.

"Oh." she said.

"I'll get him a squirrel when we leave. For now cover him with your jacket so no-one will see him and we'll get you some breakfast." he said.

Rashel covered Timmy with her coat. She hesitated a second before she got out of the car, locking the doors behind her.

They didn't stay at the diner long. They cleaned up and got their food to go. Rashel as so happy to have the hot Cinnamon bun she was biting into. She hadn't eaten since lunch the day she had went to the club with Daphne. That had been three days. Three days. That reminded her, she needed to call her foster parents and Nyala needed to call her parents before they think they have lost their other child.

"Quinn, do you have a phone?" she asked.

He nodded and handed her a silver cellphone. She turned around to face Nyala. Nyala was chowing down on a chicken biscuit and sipping a cup of coffee.

"We need to call our parents. Do you want to now or after you finish?" she asked.

"I'll do it now." Nyala said and took the phone.

Her conversation lasted ten minutes. Rashel could hear in her voice that she hated to lie to her parents but she knew that she had to or they would be in danger. She told them that she needed time away from everything, needed time to grieve. Her parents were reluctant but since she was 18 she could legally go wherever she wanted. She assured them that she was fine and would call them when she got to wherever she was going. She told them she wasn't alone that she was with a friend and that they were looking out for each other. In the end things had been settled for Nyala and then it was her turn.

She called and her foster mother, Liza, answered the phone. Rashel had answered her back and conversation ensued. Liza was worried about her but her foster father, Robert, hadn't been. Only Robert would never worry about her. He and Liza were Vampire Hunters themselves and so she could tell them mostly the truth. She skirted around the parts about Quinn. It was best that they didn't know about him just yet. She didn't talk long and had everything sorted out and was giving Quinn back his phone and was pulling over.

"Why did we stop?" Nyala asked.

"Timmy will be waking up soon and I need to feed." Quinn said and disappeared.

Soon he returned with a squirrel and had a little blood on his face beside his lip, which he wiped away. Nyala was a bit pale looking at the squirrel considering it was still alive. Quinn knew just what she was thinking. Why was the poor squirrel still alive?

"We need living blood to live." he said and she snapped her head up to look at him.

"We can't kill and then feed. Humans blood carry oxygen and we feed on it because we can't make our own oxygen. If we don't feed we suffocate and it is terrible and painful, more painful than any wooden stake piercing you." he explained.

"Ok." she said and dropped her eyes away from them.

Rashel was intrigued. She didn't know that was why vampires drank human blood. She had always been taught it was because they enjoyed destroying life. That explained why he brought the squirrel back instead of taking Timmy to the squirrel or killing the squirrel first.

_"Hunter?"_ Timmy's voice sounded.

Nyala quickly had a stake in her hand, just in case. She had her back to the car door and was watching every move that Timmy made. Timmy started grasping at his throat and gasping, he needed air. Quinn was holding the wriggling barking squirrel out to him and Timmy pushed it away.

"That is all we have and you can't feed off of the girls. The squirrel will make the pain go away." he said and held it out again and Timmy took it.

Timmy hesitated before he bit into the squirrel. It jerked and screeched and then went still. Blood flowed down from the tiny animal and onto Rashel's jacket and onto the floor board. Rashel looked at Quinn and saw he was trying to focus on other things instead of the metallic tang the blood filled the air with. She saw that his pupils were dialated and she could feel across her pysche that he was fighting the instinctual urge to bite something and feed.

She decided then to keep her concentration on Timmy. The little boy had finished feeding off the squirrel and had sat the poor thing in his lap. He was staring regretfully at it and was silently crying. She knew then that her Timmy was still in there. He loved animals and he killed the squirrel and was regretting it.

"I will teach you to feed without killing." Quinn said suddenly.

Timmy didn't say a word but he did nod and Quinn seen it in the rear view mirror and nodded back. A silent agreement between vampires, a teacher and a student.

"When we stop next we will start then." he instructed and again Timmy didn't answer.

"It's ok, Timmy. You can do it." Rashel said encouragingly.

Timmy glared at her. She could see the hate so evident in his gaze as she looked in the visor mirror and her hurt multiplied. What had Hunter told him all these years? These 12 long years. Whatever it was had him absolutely loathing her. She saw that Nyala was giving her a reassuring smile and had placed her hand on her shoulder and she gave her a sad smile. When Nyala had sat back, Quinn retrieved the squirrel from Timmy and took it and Timmy away from the car. When they returned Timmy was clean and Quinn was depositing her jacket in the trunk. It was ruined and even if it wasn't she would never wear it again anyways.

"Where are we going?" Timmy asked quietly.

"That is for us to know and for you to find out at the appropriate time." Quinn said.

"Yes." Timmy said.

"Don't even think of using your telepathy either. You will never get it around mine. Mine is three times Hunters' could ever be." Quinn informed him.

"He has telepathy?" Nyala asked.

"Yes. All vampires have a form of telepathy. Since he is a child and has only been a vampire for 12 years his is very weak. While I was an adult when I was changed and I have about 300 years on him." he said to her.

"What about Hunter?" she asked.

"Let's just say there is always someone out there that is better than you. I believe if he had known that I would be more powerful than him in just about every way and that I would turn on him for a human woman, he would never have changed me." he said with a smug grin.

"Yeah." she said in response and didn't ask anymore questions.

The ride was silent until nightfall and they had crossed other state lines. Rashel had already forgotten where they were, they had crossed a couple more state lines. She had been worried about gas but it seemed that when they had made that pit-stop in Kentucky, Quinn decided to fill up a few gas cans. Now, however he had no choice to but to stop. Rashel and Nyala needed to eat and use the restroom and he needed refills on gas and he took Timmy hunting.

When the two had returned from hunting Nyala and Rashel were already in the car waiting and had already pumped and paid for the gas. They went got in the car and the driving resumed.

"Why didn't we just fly?" Nyala asked.

"Hunter could track us better that way. We needed to be off the grid for a while." Rashel said.

"That makes sense. So when do you think we will arrive?" she asked.

"Possibly tomorrow night." Quinn answered her.

"Good. I could use a steamy shower." she said and sighed.

"I could too." Rashel added.

"And a bed." Quinn said.

"You could let me drive." Rashel said.

"No. I like driving and I have to keep and eye on Timmy." he said.

"Can I drive in the morning then?" she asked.

"Yes." he answered, it would have been pointless to tell her no.

"Thank you." she said with a yawn.

"Go to sleep." he ordered.

"Yes sir." she teased.

"Shhh. Some of us are trying to sleep back here." Nyala said.

Rashel turned around to look at her and found Timmy asleep with his head on her lap. She felt a small pang of jealousy but smothered it. It was for the best. Nyala needed someone and Timmy needed someone. She shook her head and leaned against the window to try to sleep.

_**"He needs time."** _Quinn said in her head.

_"I know but it..."_ she said.

_**"Still hurts. He'll come around eventually. When we get him to Vegas I will hunt down a Witch and see if she can look in his mind to see what's going on in there. I think Hunter may have messed around in there."** _Quinn explained.

_"Thank you."_ she whispered.

_**"I love you."** _he said.

_"I love you too."_ she said.

Their connection waned and she started to fall asleep thanks to a little psychic push from Quinn. She then fell into a dreamless sleep, the first in a long time.

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><p><strong>AN: Read and Review. Tell me what you think.<strong>


	3. Journey Part 2  Instincts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Night World. Owner: L.J. Smith.**

**AN: First fic. Be nice.**

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><p>The next morning Rashel woke to find the car at a complete stop with both Quinn and Timmy missing and Nyala already awake.<p>

"They go hunting?" she asked, her voice a bit groggy.

"Yeah. Been gone 15 minutes." she answered.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Not even 7 yet." she answered.

Rashel nodded and stretched. She got out of the car then to stretch her legs and she did a few laps around the car. She was doing some handstands when Quinn and Timmy returned. She waved at them, balancing herself on one hand.

"Morning, darlin'." Quinn said.

"Morning." she said and smiled at Timmy.

Timmy didn't smile back at her but he did wave at her. Rashel couldn't help but be ecstatically happy at that moment. For her Timmy was coming back to her and she would be able to help him and just that small wave was just enough for her at the moment.

"Catch anything good?" she asked flipping back onto her feet.

"Yes, I did." Quinn replied and grabbed her around the waist; holding her against his chest.

"Really? Was it delicious?" she asked, smoothing her hands over his shoulders.

"It was." he answered and kissed her.

The kiss was like the one they shared when they got off the island. It was electrifying, terrifying and yet the most wonderful thing she had ever felt. The same pink haze covered her sight and fogged her head. She went right into his mind then. She again could see the vibrant colors, the light parts begging to be lighter, and then the dark parts holding his shame, loathing, and all of his wrong doings. She would never judge him on those parts because at the very exact moment Quinn was looking all over her mind; seeing what she had seen, all of her dark secrets and insecurities.

A loud _"uh-hem"_, interrupted them and pulled them back into their respective minds. They could see out the corner of their eyes, Nyala and Timmy staring at them.

Rashel blushed a bright red and jumped into the drivers seat and slammed the door. Quinn glared at the two and went to the passenger's seat. Rashel had quickly started the engine and took off fast. She looked up in to the rear veiw mirror to see Nyala smiling at her and Timmy had a concentrated look on his face. She feared then that he was trying to contact Hunter or some of Hunters' associates. But a mental hug from Quinn told her that Timmy was talking to him. She wanted to know what about but she wasn't going to push her luck on the Timmy subject.

"Are you going to sleep now?" she asked him.

"Yeah I should try to." he said.

"Yes you should. You have drove for two straight days and nights. You may be immortal but even you need a little sleep." she said sounding motherly.

"Yes mom." he teased.

"That's yes ma'm." she countered.

"Yes ma'm, mother." he said with a smirk.

"John go to sleep!" she replied.

He just continued to smirk but then decided he should try to get some sleep while he could. Before he drifted off he talked a little more with Timmy. He was talking to him about Rashel. As her soulmate he saw the self-hatred she felt when she couldn't save Timmy. How she had blamed herself for not waiting on him to go up the spider web with her. He needed Timmy to know everything she had felt and all of the grief and self-revulsion she heaped on herself to make herself what she was. He needed Timmy to understand and forgive Rashel and possibly tell them anything he could about Hunter. He needed all of this from Timmy for Rashels' sake.

Just as he was falling into sleep, Timmy asked him a question that he didn't know the answer to... Why did Rashel leave him? He told Timmy that he needed to ask Rashel that. Timmy nodded in his head and then he went to sleep, oblivious to the world around him.

Rashel was happy to see that Quinn had finally drifted off. It worried her a bit that he had stayed awake as long as he did. Even Vampires needed sleep as much as humans did. God, she sounded so unlike herself. She knew just who to blame for that too. It was all Quinns' fault and vice versa. The soulmate principle really changed a person and their perspectives.

"Rashel?" she heard Timmy call her.

She was stunned! Timmy was actually saying something to her without it being vile and heartbreaking. She couldn't say a word to him but she looked in the rear view mirror to see him and he saw her looking. It was a couple of minutes before he spoke again.

"Why did you leave me?" he asked.

_"Leave him? What is he talking about? I never left him."_ she asked herself.

"Timmy I didn't leave you. I tried to find you. You left me. Remember I went up the ropes first and you asked me to wait on you and I didn't." she explained.

"I remember you going up them, I wanted you to wait, and you saying something about ice-cream cake. Then nothing." he said.

"I went up them and when I turned around you were gone. I thought you were telling on me and I got down to find you because my mom said for me to watch over you. I went to find you and then I found you and Hunter. You was... I thought you were dead and he came after me. I screamed for mom and climbed a tree to get away from him. He killed my mom and tried to convince me to come down. I climbed higher and screamed at the top of my lungs and he left when people started noticing him. The police were called, I told them what had happened and I was placed with my great-aunt. Hunter came after me and killed her. I got away and was placed in home after home after home. I told my story over and over and no-one believed me and then finally my last set did and even trained me. I stayed with them until just a little while ago." she explained.

"You didn't leave me. You thought I was dead." he said, not really a question and yet not really a statement.

She nodded and forced back some tears that had started to whell. She was not going to cry. She was Rashel the Cat! She did not cry for anyone to see. It was a weakness to show tears to anyone.

"I am confused! Why can't I remember?" he snapped.

"Don't try to force it. Let your memory heal and it will come back to you." Nyala said, speaking for the first time.

"I just want to remember. I feel like I am supposed to be angry at you and yet it don't think that I should be." he said.

"Timmy, Quinn mentioned to me that a witch may be able to help you." Rashel piped in.

"Witches are bad." he said.

"Have you met a witch before?" Nyala asked.

Timmy nodded. "I met Hunters' daughter, Roseclear, and his wife, Maeve. Maeve isn't very nice but Roseclear is ok."

"Then by that just maybe not all witches are bad. I found that not all vampires are monsters." Nyala said.

Rashel listened to the conversation. Nyala was being a great help with Timmy. She was sure that Nyala would help bring her and Timmy back together and when it happened she would thank Nyala.

"Monsters?" he asked.

"Yes. My sister was killed by a vampire." Nyala told him.

"I'm sorry." he apologized.

"You shouldn't be. You didn't do it. I want revenge on the one who did kill my sister. For awhile I wanted all vampires to pay but Rashel and Quinn have proved that not all vampires are bad. There is both good and evil in every race." she said.

Rashel had to hand it to her. She was right. There was good and bad in each race. Hunter was evil in the vampires, and so was Lily. She really didn't like her. There was also good in the race, Quinn and Timmy.

"Timmy, are you ok?" Rashel asked.

Timmy had suddenly become very quiet and still. Rashel was a little worried. Was he upset? She saw him glance around quickly and alarm bells went off in her head and she pressed the gas pedal harder. Did he sense something the rest of them didn't?

"Yeah, I'm fine." he said quietly.

"Ok. Maybe you should get some sleep. You should too, Nyala. We still have a ways to go but will be there soon." Rashel commented.

"Where are we going?" Timmy asked.

"I can't tell you yet, Timmy. Quinn said you shouldn't know yet." Rashel said.

"Ok." was his reply and he laid his head on the window.

Rashel kept her eyes on the road, every now and again looking at the others. Something was amiss. She could feel it. Her sixth sense was prickling. Something was going to happen but she didn't know what. She was sure though, that Timmy had felt it and either didn't trust himself with his instincts or he was still trying to get back to Hunter. She wasn't going to wake Quinn, he was tired and if something happened she would wake him.

Her sense dulled. Either she was just being a little paranoid or the threat had backed off. She was going to let Quinn know when he woke up but she wasn't going to inform Nyala or Timmy until it was necessary. IF it was necessary.

As the day wore on the feeling would sharpen and dull and then sharpen and dull again. It was making her feel anxious and annoyed. It was the last straw when she caught sight of streaks of gray and black off the side of the highway. She thought nothing of them at first but then they kept returning and then would disappear out of her sight as quickly as they had come. On the last time when she put the pedal on the floor, she saw a wolf and she knew it. Werewolves!

_**"John!"** _she shouted in his head.

She had let him sleep long enough. It was afternoon so it had been hours. They had problems now and he was needed. Were they sent by Hunter or were they making sure they were leaving their territory?

"Why are you shouting?" he asked, aloud.

"No-one shouted." Nyala said, confused.

"John we have werewolves." she said calmly.

They were all up then. Timmy was searching out the windows, Nyala was scanning around trying to catch sight of them, and Quinn was doing what he did best... get in peoples' heads.

"It's alright. They were following to see if we were staying or going. I told them we were going." he said and relaxed.

"Ok, go back to sleep. False alarm." Rashel said.

"Nothing false about the alarm. You can't read minds but instinct you can." Quinn replied.

"Hmn." was all she said and slowed down.

"You have good instincts." Timmy said.

"Thank you." she said in return.

"I felt them but didn't trust my instincts." he admitted.

"Always trust your instincts. It will save you alot of trouble in the long run, even if you are wrong." Quinn told him.

"He's right, Timmy. It is better to be wrong than... dead." she said.

He nodded and had the look of a scolded child. Rashel smiled at him and he tried to offer a weak one back. Nyala gave him a pat on the shoulder and he looked at her and got a nod. He lost the scolded child look and took on a pensieve one. Any could tell he was trying to scan around then the best he could, try to use his instincts. Practice makes perfect and he would have a long time to practice.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks to the reviews I have recieved. Thank you all. I have decided to add this chapter now instead of wait two weeks. Know this I will not update again for another week. Then I will decide to update weekly or bi-weekly.<strong>


	4. Journey's End

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Night World. Props go to L.J. Smith for her wonderful idea. Nor do I own the mentioning of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.**

**AN: First fic so please be nice.**

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><p>She had been to a city, New York to be exact, but she had never in her life seen a city so brightly lit. You could walk around without a thought to tripping over some unseen object. It was so bright, she thought she would have to wear sunglasses to sleep at night here.<p>

"It's just the strip." Quinn said to her.

"Vegas is stunning." Rashel said.

"Wow. It's beautiful." Nyala commented.

Timmy was gazing out the windows, awestruck. He had never been to Vegas and was in awe about the city. It was so lively, so bright, so colorful! He stared at monuments he had seen in other countries, such as pyramids and the Eiffel Tower. Why did Hunter want him to see these things when he could have went to one place and seen them all at once?

"Why are we here?" he asked them.

"We are looking for Circle Daybreak." Quinn answered him.

"What is Circle Daybreak?" he asked.

"It is a place where humans, vampires, witches, shapeshifters, werewolves, and everyone inbetween can be together peacefully." Rashel said.

"I thought humans weren't supposed to know about the Night World." Timmy said.

"Thier not. But in Circle Daybreak humans are with Night World people. Friends with them and even in relationships with them." Quinn told him.

"Ok." he said and continued to look at the bright lights.

They drove around a little while longer and then Quinn stopped outside of an old store. It was closed and dark in the bottom part but the top floors, the living quarters were brightly lit. Rashel could see a young dark haired woman come to the window and then leave it. The lights in the store front came on and the woman was there, she was unlocking the door.

Quinn got out of the car and the woman stood with the door open. Rashel saw he in full regalia. Beautiful and enchanting. Tall, elegant, long dark hair, full red lips in a small pout, and beautiful yet suspicious eyes. Just looking at the girl had Rashel coming out of the car to follow Quinn.

"Quinn." the woman said, disdainfully.

"Hello, Blaise. How are you?" Quinn asked.

"I've been better. What are you doing here?" Blaise asked, glaring at him.

Rashel stood behind him quietly. Obviously there was a lot of bad blood between them or something. Maybe she should have stayed in the car.

"Right to the quick of things as usual. I need to see Grandma Harman. I am in need of her assistance in a matter." he explained.

"She's not here. Grandma is at Thierry's. You know how to get there or do you need directions there?" she asked.

"I know how. Thank you Blaise." he said.

Blaise looked shocked. Did he say something surprising?

"You are different. There have been rumors that you are leaving the Night World. Are they true?" she asked softly.

"Yes they are." he answered.

"For her I am assuming?" she asked, looking straight into Rashels' eyes.

Rashel could feel the magic in the girl now as they stared at each other. She was powerful, very powerful. A witch, a true Harman, a Hearth-Woman. A daughter of Hellwise was standing before her, a night person; people she had always been disdainful of and yet she felt almost insignificant compared to this woman.

"For her. For Rashel." Quinn answered, holding Rashels' hand.

"A soulmate. I never would have thought you of all people, Quinn. Goddess, the whole family is being infected by the soulmate principle. What is it now 5 of us? Yeah. I am so, dare I say it, proud of you Quinn." she beamed.

"What are you talking about?" Rashel asked, saying something finally.

"You'll see. Get to Thierry, he is Circle Daybreak. Go!" Blaise said and she made a shooing motion at them.

Quinn pulled Rashel away and Blaise drew back into the shop. They returned to the car and got in. Timmy and Nyala asked who Blaise was. Rashel was curious a bit about her as well. He told the that she was a Harman and that she was his adopted cousin.

"So where are we going now?" Nyala asked.

"Thierry's." Timmy said.

"How do you know that?" she asked him.

"I'm a vampire. I could hear everything they had said to each other." Timmy answered.

"Lord Thierry, if I am correct." Rashel said.

"Yes. The Lord of the Night World, the very first made vampire. Made by the Vampire Queen, Maya, herself." Quinn added.

"Wow. Vicky told me about him. Said he was the oldest vampire, next to Maya. Is he really a couple thousand years old?" Nyala asked, amazed.

"Yes but he doesn't look a day over 18." Quinn answered.

"Wow, again!" she said.

"When do you think we will arrive?" Rashel asked.

"To his house or his lands?" Quinn asked.

"What?" they all asked.

"To his house 5 minutes. To his lands, we are already there. He owns most of the north east side of Vegas and has a penthouse right on the strip. He owns the whole building." Quinn answered.

Silence resounded. Quinn sometimes loved to read minds. Shock was firmly rooted in their minds at how someone could own so much. But hey, he was a couple thousand years old so he had a lot of time to make his billions. Quinn saw the building and turned the corner and parked right out front.

"We're here." he announced and got out.

Rashel got out and looked around before she slammed the door shut. Nyala was reassuring Timmy as she got out of the car and Timmy slid out behind her. The two looked around and then followed Quinn and Rashel to the building. They were met by a doorman, dressed very spiffy. He reminded Rashel of a CIA agent but he was a vampire.

"We are here to see Lord Thierry." Quinn said.

"Do you have an apointment, sir?" the doorman asked.

"Not an appointment. We are here about Circle Daybreak." Quinn said and gestured to Rashel, Nyala, and Timmy.

"Very well sir. I am Nilsson." he said.

"Thank you." Quinn said and went in, the others followed.

They went straight to the elevator and went up to the top floor, the penthouse. When they arrived, they could hear voices as they stepped off the elevator. Quinn was shocked at the voices he heard. A few were Redferns and Harmans! That was what Blaise meant about running in the family. No wonder Hunter had been very pissy as of late.

Quinn led them to where the voices were and stopped just outside of the room to knock. The room silenced and he heard Thierry call for them to come in. The reactions were the usual to Quinn. The vampires and witches that knew him were about to pounce on him. He knew he deserved too. But before they could attack him, Rashel spoke out.

"Lord Thierry! Please call them back." she said moving in front of her soulmate.

Thierry nodded at them when they looked at him for approval and Rashel continued.

"My Lord, I am Rashel Jordan. I am a vampire hunter. I'm better known as The Cat." she said and stopped when hisses sounded, "These two are Nyala and Timmy. You all know Quinn."

"I see. What is it that you are here for?" he asked.

"We are here to ask to stay. We have nowhere else to go because the Nightworld will never accept us being together. Nyala and Timmy are victims but want a chance to make things right and do some good between our worlds. We also seek the help of Grandma Harman for Timmy. Please." she pleaded.

"Of course you can stay. What is the nature of your reasons for being here?" he asked.

"Timmy was turned into a vampire by Hunter Redfern. We need Grandma Harman to help us to see if Hunter has messed with his mind. Nyala wants to put the death of her sister behind her. Because of Quinn she learned that not all vampires are evil. She was a vampire hunter and now she wants to make amends and do good along side of them." she said.

"But what does that have to do with you, Ms. Jordan and Quinn?" he asked.

"We are in terrible trouble. Quinn and I are soulmates." she said.

Stunned gasps resounded around the room. Then laughter followed.

"What's so funny?" Nyala asked, confused.

An ash blonde haired boy with ever changing eyes stepped forward to explain. Looking at the boy, Rashel likened him to a pale lanky tiger, graceful and elegant yet with feirceness hidden beneath the surface.

"Quinn is... or well was, Hunters' left hand and he has hated humans almost as long as he has been alive. Wanted to rid the world of them and was a stickler for Night World law. But he is now breaking the most sacred of laws and is the soulmate of a human and not just any... a vampire hunter. That is what we all find so funny." he said.

"I could say almost the exact same thing about you, Ash. What are you doing here?" Quinn said.

"I am in the same boat as you, my friend. I am in love with a human, my beautiful soulmate." Ash explained and his eyes changed to a depressing gray color.

Quinn saw the sudden change in mood in his friend. Either the girl was dead or they were seperated.

"We are all like you, Quinn." a beautiful light haired girl said.

"Thea Harman, you too?" Quinn asked surprised.

"Yeah and not just me. Almost every one of us in this room." she explained.

Quinn looked around as saw a couple of familiar faces. He saw James Rasmussen with a little elf like red headed vampire. He saw Thea was with a sandy haired guy and he looked a couple of other people he didn't recognize. The small platinum blonde was a witch and the guy she was with was human. The power she emanated from her had the feel of a Harman.

"Is she?" Quinn asked nodding towards the blonde.

"Yes. She is Gillian Lennox and she was a missing Harman baby. The guy next to her is her soulmate David Blackburn." Thea said.

Quinn nodded. Rashel was curious about them all. She truly was a cat. Hopefully the saying curiosity killed the cat, wouldn't apply to her.

"Who are the rest of you?" she asked.

"I'm James Rasmussen. This is my soulmate, Poppy North." James said and motioned to the red head.

"Hi, we are going to become the best of friends. I look forward to shopping with you and introducing you to Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Poppy said.

"What?" Rashel said, surprised.

"Sorry about that. Sometimes I talk before I think. I'm a witch/vampire. I sometimes see things that can occur." she explained.

"Oh, am I going to like Buffy?" Rashel asked.

"Actually you'll be quite critical at some parts and then romanticizing over how much you are like her. Especially in the romance department." she said with a huge grin.

Rashel gave her a confused look but Poppy brushed her along to meet the others.

"As you already know I'm Thea Harman but this my soulmate, Eric Ross. He's human." Thea said and Eric shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you." Rashel said to them and she moved on to Ash.

She wanted to know why he was so sad. His eyes had turned that sad gray color when he mentioned his soulmate to Quinn and they still hadn't changed from that color.

"Is she alright?" she asked him.

"My Mary-Lynnette is fine, just lonely without me." he said and the gray deepened.

"I'm sorry for asking." Rashel said.

"It's fine. I like to talk about her and when I do the pain dulls." he said.

"Why isn't she here?" Nyala asked suddenly.

"She wants to finish growing up first. She also wants me to make some amends for the things I have done. I was almost as bad as Quinn but when I met her I did a complete 360* in personality and thinking. Also Quinn is another reason I'm not with her." Ash said and sent a glare at Quinn.

"What did you do?" Rashel asked Quinn and he shrugged, "What did he do?" she asked Ash.

"He had to show up in her hometown, Briar Creek, to check up on me and my sisters." he said.

A look of dawning came to Quinn's face and he had the decency to look a little ashamed.

"That was why you were so quick to get rid of me and had everything laid out for me when I arrived. I should've known but the evidence was overwhelming." Quinn said.

"I'm glad you didn't figure it out! You would've killed her, her brother, my sisters, and me! Probably the whole town to make double sure. I had to make it all convincing." Ash said.

"I have changed, Ash. You have changed. But you're right. I would've done that and I have. Until I met Rashel I was this... dreadful person." Quinn admitted.

"That's alright now. I was almost as bad as you. If not for Mare I would never be what I am now." Ash replied.

"You need to go see her." Rashel said with a sad smile on her face.

"I can't. I promised her I would stay away from her for a year to let her grow up and try to make my amends." Ash explained.

"That was stupid." Rashel said.

"I know. But I promised and I really don't want to be kicked again." he said.

"Kicked?" James asked, obviously Ash never told him this.

"When I misbehave she kicks me in the shins. She did it the very first time I met her. It really hurts, she has a powerful kick for a human." Ash said and sent glares at his cousin for snickering.

"Atleast she only kicked you." Quinn grumbled.

"Why? How did you two meet?" Thea asked.

"I was ambushed, knocked unconcious, tied up, wooden handcuffed, and when I woke she was sitting on me about to stake me." Quinn said.

Rashel blushed bright red as everyone turned their gaping looks at her. Then everyone turned the look on Quinn and the room shook with the hysterical laughter.

"Oh, wow! I can't believe it." James said between laughs.

"Better believe it. I was there, I helped." Nyala said.

"Now this is a story I will never get tired of hearing." Thea gasped out.

"Ha ha ha ha. It's not that funny." Quinn said.

"Yes it is. What happened after? Since he is alive he must've escaped." Poppy said.

"No, I let him go, sorta. I took the ropes off and let him rip the cuffs off. He was going to kill me and then we touched and that whole... I don't know..." she said.

"Pink hazy thing happened." Ash said.

"Yeah that! Then the other hunters came back and I blocked their way and let him go." she said.

"That's it? Man, I was hoping that she knocked you out again." David said.

"I did. But I'm not telling you that. What happens after that is private and I believe poor Quinn has been embarrassed enough for one night." Rashel stated.

"I'm sleepy." Timmy yawned.

"Ok, um, Lord Thierry where may I take Timmy to sleep?" Rashel asked.

"Lupe!" he called out and a werewolf girl came into the room.

"Lupe would you show them to some rooms?" Thierry asked her.

"Of course. Come on I'll show you." Lupe said.

"You can see grandma in the morning." Thea said as they left the room.

Lupe showed them all to the hall that they would be staying. She pointed out each room that was already occupied and whose they were. She showed Nyala to a room and then Timmy to one right next to hers. She then moved on to a hall around a corner, saying those were the last rooms in the hall.

"Now, will you be sharing a room or sleeping seperately?" Lupe asked.

"Um, we.. we will be..." Rashel stammered, truly at a loss for words.

"Sharing." Quinn said quickly.

Rashel shot him a nasty look but erased it as Lupe showed them into one of the rooms.

"There will be clothes already in the drawers if you didn't bring any. You'll have to look for something in your size though. I need to tell the other two that. I forgot. See you tomorrow, maybe." Lupe said.

The werewolf grinned at her as they entered and shut the door behind them. The room was nicely decorated, too expensively done in Rashels' opinion, but if you had money you could always afford the best of everything. One set of her many foster parents had always told her that.

"Do you want to take a shower or go to bed?" Rashel asked him.

Quinn didn't answer her but he did come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Holding her back to his chest, he sniffed her neck and ran his tongue over the same path. Rashel stiffened and then relaxed when nothing happened but knew that he was hungry.

"Go ahead. Don't take too much." she said.

"Are you sure? I can go catch..." he said.

"Do it. I'd rather it was me than some poor street girl getting between you breathing or suffocating." she said.

He nodded. She had a point. Even with the pressure that was in his chest he wasn't just going to bite into her, he was going to coax her. Love her a bit. She was his soulmate and deserved to be treated better than those... other girls he had entertained with thoughts of love. She had his love; whole and pure.

Slowly and lazily, he kissed her neck and nipped along it. Laving each place with precise pressure with his tongue. Then running one of his hands up from her waist to run it through her hair. She leaned her head back and let a low moan slip from her lips. She turned her head to see his face and he captured her mouth, searing her very soul with his kiss.

Releasing her so she could breathe and before he gave in to the urge to bite her then. She panted lightly and her breath hitched when he scraped his fangs down her neck. Her back arched and she tangled her hand in his hair just as he bit down, sinking his fangs into her flesh.

A small scream escaped her throat that quickly morphed into a groan and she jerked his head lightly. They sank to their knees then. Rashel was as limp as a boneless fish and the only thing keeping her from being sprawled on the floor was the strength of Quinn's arms.

_"John."_ she whispered.

_**"Thank you for loving me."** _he said back to her in her head.

_"I love you."_ she said and blew at one of the dark places in his mind.

Shivers raced up his spine and he released her, temptation was coming on strong to keep drinking her sweet blood. Both panting, they leaned on each other for support. When they caught their breathe and emotions had wound down; they stood and then collapsed on the bed together, falling straight and deep into slumber.

Holding each other tightly and securely through the night. Each stronger after another affect effect of the Soulmate principle. Love stronger than ever and both ready to face the new dawn that awaited them to guide them to their fate and the fate of their worlds.

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><p><strong>AN: I have finished my first fic!<strong>


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